The U.S. is burning a perilous path in the Middle East. The empire builders in Washington want control of the region's oil and command of its strategic position. Two key countries are Lebanon and Iraq. And on the edge is Afghanistan. What's really going on there? You won't know much if you're feeding at the corporate media trough with its drive-by journalism.

Robert Fisk
Robert Fisk, based in Beirut, is the Middle East correspondent for "The Independent." He is the author of "Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon." He is winner of the Amnesty International UK Press Award and the Lannan Prize for Cultural Freedom. His latest book is "The Great War for Civilization"